


Baby, It's Cold Outside

by useumssi



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Cat!Hongjoong, Cat!Seonghwa, Dirty Jokes, Fluff, Hybrids, Implied Drug Use, Implied Masturbation, Implied Smut, Kissing, M/M, Mentions of Bodily Mutilation, Not Beta Read, Pining, Rottweiler!Yunho, We Die Like Men, a smidge of angst, implied alcohol use, just a lil bit, roommates au, you have to squint to see it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:02:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28439571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/useumssi/pseuds/useumssi
Summary: In which Hongjoong gets a new roommate who is more than what he bargained for.
Relationships: Jeong Yunho/Kim Hongjoong
Comments: 5
Kudos: 107





	Baby, It's Cold Outside

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CottonAuroras](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CottonAuroras/gifts).



> Hello everyone!  
> This is my submission for the Writertiny Secret Santa fic exchange!  
> My santee is @CottonAuroras on twt, aka MoonlightTrash on AO3 ❤️  
> I hope you enjoy this lil fic Luna, and I wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year 🥰

Hongjoong loves Seonghwa. He would even go so far as to say that he would trust the man with his life. It’s not like he’d ever given Hongjoong a reason _not_ to trust him. He’d always been there in school when Hongjoong was too stressed and busy to study for exams on top of his job, armed with color-coded notes and a plethora of mnemonics that, in all honesty, saved Hongjoong’s ass. He’d been there when Hongjoong thought he’d completely bombed his interview for his program, wiping his tears and spoonfeeding him ice cream until he calmed down. He was there when Hongjoong moved out of his parents’ place, helping Hongjoong pack up the very room they’d made so many memories in. For every important moment in his life, Seonghwa had been there. 

So it follows that when Seonghwa needed a favor, Hongjoong agreed without blinking, no questions asked. 

“Um, don’t you want to know a little about the guy?” Seonghwa asks, eyes owlishly wide. They glow an emerald green, stark against the black fur of his ears, but Hongjoong looks back, assured. 

“Nope. If you say he’s fine, then I believe you.” Hongjoong shrugs and sips his milkshake. 

“Hongjoong, the guy is going to _move in_ with you! Surely you want to know a bit more—” 

“Nah, I’m good. Plus it’s only for a couple of months. I really don’t mind.” Hongjoong’s tail swishes against the seat of the booth softy, unlike Seonghwa’s, thumping away across the table. 

“If you’re sure…”

“I’m sure, I swear. Tell your family friend he can move into my spare room as early as next week. I’ll clean it up and have it ready whenever,” he says, still sipping away at his milkshake. 

“Okay, then,” Seonghwa blinks, eyes still wide. “I’ll let him know.”

“Sounds good,” Hongjoong says, flashing Seonghwa a thumbs up that does nothing to settle the nervous thumping of his tail. 

“Do you at least wanna know his name?” Seonghwa asks, finally reaching for his own milkshake. 

Hongjoong shrugs. “Sure, why not? Maybe I’ll stalk him on social media before he moves in, do some vetting to make sure he isn’t completely crazy.”

He’s only joking, but he can see Seonghwa stiffen and begin to protest. 

“I swear he isn’t, I’ve known him for _years_ and he’s really very sweet once you get to know him—” 

“Seonghwa, just tell me his name,” Hongjoong chuckles. 

“I—oh, well, okay—,” Seonghwa clears his throat. “His name is Yunho.”

And that’s the end of that. They carry on about their day, eating and shopping and then eating some more until the name “Yunho” slips out of Hongjoong’s memory. He isn’t worried about his new roommate situation. Not in the slightest.

After all, Seonghwa had never given Hongjoong a reason not to trust him. 

➿

Hongjoong definitely should _not_ have trusted Seonghwa. Or he should have asked a few more questions _at least_.

The roommate situation was agreed upon in a matter of days, an agreement drawn up and signed by both parties and a _very_ nice lump of cash by way of a first and last payment from Yunho landing itself in his bank account. 

Yunho decided to move in a mere two weeks after Seonghwa had asked Hongjoong if the spare room was available to rent, and Hongjoong hadn’t been nervous about it at all until the moment he’d opened the door and looked this “Yunho” square in the face.

They’d exchanged numbers through Seonghwa, and not even the manner in which Yunho texted could have prepared Hongjoong for the sight of his new roommate. The man messaged with an abundance of emojis, and perhaps he used the exclamation point a bit too fervently, but Hongjoong had found it reassuring. At least his roommate sounded like someone who didn’t have a perpetual stick up their ass. 

Seonghwa comes over on moving day, beginning to stress-clean the moment he walks through the doors. Normally, Hongjoong would be a bit miffed at someone invading his space and rearranging his cupboards, but this is _Seonghwa_ and now he can actually see the back of his fridge after what feels like months _._ He merely lounges on the couch and watches his friend work, dusting places Hongjoong would have never thought to dust and procuring cleaning agents from the depths under his sink that, frankly, he hadn’t known he’d owned. 

By the time the doorbell rings, the place is spotless. Seonghwa emerges from the bathroom down the hall, sponge and bleach spray still in hand as Hongjoong moves to unlock the door and welcome his new roommate. 

Seonghwa’s ears are flat against his head, eyes wide and tail flicking worriedly. Hongjoong eyes him for a moment before sliding the deadbolt and opening the door, not paying the slightest bit of attention to the person on the other side until a deep, cheery voice floats over to his ears. 

“Hi, you must be Hongjoong?” His tone is sultry without even trying, like he’d just woken up from a nap, voice rough and low. 

Hongjoong’s gaze snaps to his roommate—to _Yunho_ —and his mouth immediately runs dry. It takes every ounce of concentration in his mush bucket of a brain to nod dumbly and shake Yunho’s outstretched hand. 

Yunho only smiles and tilts his head, ears flopping against his wavy brown hair. Hongjoong thinks it’s unfairly adorable. 

The rest of him is decidedly not so. Adorable, that is. 

For whatever reason, Yunho has decided that moving day would be the perfect day to wear the tightest white shirt he could lay his hands on, paired with sweatpants that have probably been thrown in the dryer and shrunk until they fit like a second skin. Every shifting muscle on Yunho’s body is on full display, hugged by fabric that barely does anything to hide the muscular figure beneath. 

He’s tall, too. So much so that Hongjoong has to crane his neck to meet his kind eyes and sweet smile. Hongjoong doesn’t know where to look as Yunho introduces himself, so he settles on the spot between his eyebrows, hoping Yunho doesn’t notice. 

“I’m Yunho. Thank you so much for letting me staying here, Hongjoong, and on such short notice too.” 

Hongjoong clears his throat and waves a hand, ignoring the fluttering beginning in the depths of his tummy.

“It’s no problem, really. Seonghwa asked and I said yes. I only hope you’re comfortable here while you figure things out,” Hongjoong says. He attempts a smile, but he’s sure he just looks pained. Yunho is kind enough not to comment and returns the smile, turning his attention to Seonghwa who all but does a running leap into Yunho’s arms. 

Hongjoong would be lying if he said his jaw didn’t drop to the floor when Yunho manages to hold Seonghwa up with _one_ arm, the other gripping the door frame in an attempt to not topple over. Seonghwa isn’t a big guy by any means, but he certainly isn’t _small._ He’s got three inches on Hongjoong but he still looks tiny against Yunho, who laughs and holds him as though he weighs not much more than a feather. 

“I’ve missed you too, Seonghwa,” Yunho chuckles, holding Seonghwa in a tight embrace when he finally finds his balance, the other man babbling incomprehensibly into his shoulder. 

“I’m so happy you’re here,” Seonghwa sighs when he pulls away, landing on his feet when Yunho gently sets him down. “I’m happy you got away.” 

Hongjoong grey ears perk up at that, but the other two don’t notice, already going to move the pile of boxes that Yunho has somehow managed to lug from the lobby to the eighth floor all on his own. 

_I’m happy you got away._

Hongjoong immensely regrets not asking Seonghwa more about Yunho. He wouldn’t call himself _nosy_ per se, but his handsome roommate is raising many more questions than he’d originally anticipated. He never gets a chance to ask, though, joining the other two in moving Yunho’s belongings into the spare room across from his.

It’s a fairly cozy apartment, with an open concept living room and kitchen, and even a shared bathroom at the end of the hall. The only space they’ll _really_ have to themselves is their own rooms, the newly-occupied one slowly filling with shoddily taped boxes. With the three of them working together, all of Yunho’s belongings are moved in within twenty minutes.

“Thank you for your help,” Yunho sighs as he sits on the edge of the mattress. “And thank you again, Hongjoong. This really means a lot to me.”

Hongjoong smiles and nods, but his curiosity is only fanned from a flame to something akin to a bonfire. “Of course, it’s no problem. We’ll order dinner, so you unpack in here for a bit. Pizza sound good?”

“Yeah, thanks.” 

Hongjoong all but drags Seonghwa from the room, his friend yowling quietly as he’s manhandled into the furthest end of the kitchen, hopefully where Yunho can’t hear.

“Ow, Hongjoong, what the hell?” Seonghwa hisses, rubbing his arm where Hongjoong had gripped him tightly.

“Don’t ‘what the hell’ me! I should be ‘what the hell-ing’ you!” he hisses right back. “Who is that absolute greek _god_ of a man you invited to be my roommate?!”

“Um, that’s Yunho? He just introduced himself, I don’t—”

“No, _obviously_ I know that’s Yunho, idiot!” Hongjoong takes a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What I’m asking is, why didn’t you _warn_ me?! I thought we were friends!”

“Warn you about what?”

“That he’s _hot_!”

“You didn’t ask!”

“Well, I would have liked to know I’m going to be living with the most attractive man I’ve ever seen!” 

Seonghwa’s eyes widen at Hongjoong’s accusatory tone, tail lashing. “How is this _my_ fault? I gave you every opportunity to ask questions about him!” 

“I still could have used a warning, asshole,” Hongjoong huffs, crossing his arms and pouting. 

“Well, now you’ll have to deal,” Seonghwa shrugs. He doesn’t look the least bit sorry. “Stock up on lube and maybe buy that new dildo you’ve been eyeing. It’s gonna be a long couple of months for you.” 

Hongjoong’s ears flatten against his head as he growls, reaching for the closest object and launching it at Seonghwa. His friend—if he can even be called that anymore—dodges the dishtowel with a giggle, bending over to pick it up from the freshly mopped floors before placing it back where Hongjoong grabbed it from. 

Hongjoong can only scoff and roll his eyes. 

“I have a question now, Seonghwa,” he whispers. His gaze flicks up to the hallway to make sure they’re still alone, but he lowers his voice a tad just to be sure. “What did Yunho ‘get away’ from? I don’t have to worry about anyone showing up on my doorstep, do I? Exes? Loan sharks? The mafia?”

Seonghwa snorts quietly, but it takes him a moment to answer. Hongjoong waits patiently as the room becomes so silent that they can hear Yunho moving around in his room down the hall. 

“Nothing like that,” Seonghwa sighs. “It’s more to do with his family. But to be honest, it isn’t my story to tell, Joong. You should hear it from him, if he decides to tell you.”

“So no mafia?”

“No mafia,” Seonghwa chuckles. “And seriously Hongjoong, thanks again for doing this.”

Hongjoong smiles and shrugs. “It’s no problem man, he seems like a nice guy. But if you really wanna show me your gratitude, how about you buy dinner?” 

Hongjoong doesn’t stick around to hear Soenghwa’s answer, skipping away and dodging the dishtowel moments before it smacks him in the back of the head. 

➿

All things considered, Yunho is a pretty good roommate. He’s clean, he bakes every now and again (deliciously, Hongjoong might add), and he is very forgiving of the suspiciously long time Hongjoong seems to be spending in the bathroom nowadays. 

His apartment feels more full as well, his TV hooked up to Yunho’s gaming consoles, the remotes for which lie neatly in the storage compartment of his coffee table, right beside his erotic novels. Hongjoong had tried to stop him from opening the little compartment, but Yunho hadn’t blinked, merely moving Hongjoong’s dog-eared books aside and lining up the controllers next to them. 

Yunho also has an affinity for stuffed toys, it seems. His plushies are scattered throughout the place, most taking up residence in his bed with a few more accompanying the throw pillows on Hongjoong’s couch. 

Only three weeks after moving in, Yunho had knocked on his door in the middle of the night and offered him a stuffed grey kitten. 

“It reminds me of you, so I thought you should have it,” he’d quickly explained, a pink blush dusting his cheeks. “It even has your eyes.”

Hongjoong had grinned, accepting the toy and inspecting it. It did have orange eyes, just like him, and the rounded, grey ears atop its head were very similar to his own, but more than anything, he was touched Yunho had thought of him and come all this way just to give him this gift.

Granted, he was only across the hall, but he’d been _thinking about Hongjoong._

“Thank you,” Hongjoong said, clutching the plushie to his chest. It smelled like Yunho; earthy but somehow sweet. It’s the same scent that now mingles with his own in the very air of the apartment. It smelled like home. 

“No worries,” Yunho said before turning around and walking back to his room, closing the door with a shy wave. 

Nearly two months into living with Yunho, and Hongjoong still sleeps with the plushie every night, breathing in deep with his nose buried in its soft fur. The scent of Yunho hardly fades. 

➿

Hongjoong notices it one day when they’re both in the living room playing some game that Yunho insisted Hongjoong would enjoy. As expected, Yunho demolishes him, and though he’s a bit jaded, Yunho’s cute whoops and flopping ears warm him from the inside out, turning him into a pile of fluff. He can hardly muster enough strength to pretend to be upset at Yunho, who tries to make up for it by offering Hongjoong one of the chocolate chunk cookies he’d made earlier. After the incident last week where Hongjoong ate half the brownies Yunho had made, his roommate had not-so-subtly begun storing his sweet treats on the highest shelf, conveniently out of Hongjoong’s view and reach. 

“I’ll take two, thank you very much,” Hongjoong huffs as Yunho reaches for the container. 

He’s wearing _those_ sweatpants again, the ones that cling to every dip and curve of his muscled thighs. Butterflies erupt in Hongjoong’s belly as Yunho stretches, a sliver of his tan, firm torso coming into view as he grapples for the cookie jar. Hongjoong looks—stares, really—at it for longer than probably appropriate before his attention is stolen by _something._

It’s a bump on Yunho’s lower back, precisely where his tail should have been. It moves back and forth, quickly at first, then slower, then quickly again when Yunho finally gets a grip on the cookie container with a booming “aha!” Hongjoong doesn’t know how he hasn’t noticed it before, the fact that Yunho doesn’t have a tail. He supposes Yunho’s puppy-like personality was all the indication he needed to determine that he was from a more canine lineage, but it never crossed his mind that Yunho lacked a _tail._

Was it just that he has a short one? Or was it…

The very thought that ran through Hongjoong’s mind makes a shudder crawl up his spine. There’s no way anyone would have done _that_ to kind, sweet Yunho. Or, at least, he hopes so. 

Yunho plops himself back down onto the couch, presenting the full cookie jar to Hongjoong.

“Because I whooped your ass so many times, you can have as many as you like,” he assures, helping himself first before handing Hongjoong one. “I’ll make a new batch tomorrow. I’m thinking of trying white chocolate this time, though. You good with that?” 

Yunho looks over when Hongjoong doesn’t answer. He must look like a fool sitting there, staring at the cookie blankly, but Yunho only moves closer to wrap an arm around his shoulders. 

“Hey, Hongjoong? Everything alright?”

The scent of him is heady, Hongjoong can barely concentrate. All he can see is that little tail, if that _is_ what it is. All he can imagine is the pain. The tears spring to his eyes before he realizes, sending Yunho into a panic.

“Oh my—I’m really sorry, you’re not bad at the game at all, I swear! Next round, you’ll win for sure _and_ I promise you can still eat as many cookies as you want. Okay, Hongjoong?” He wipes the lone tear that escapes with the pad of his thumb, drawing Hongjoong close until his face is pressed against Yunho’s chest. 

There is nothing more than Hongjoong wants right now than to be wrong, but he has to know. Not because he’s nosy, but because in these past weeks, he’s genuinely come to care about Yunho. So he asks, the question breathed right into Yunho’s skin as the man hugs him tenderly and offers him all the cookies in the world. 

“What happened to your tail Yunho?” 

Yunho freezes in his tracks, cookie mid-air. He unwraps his arms from around Hongjoong and pulls back to look down at him, eyebrows drawn together in concern. “What?”

“I just—when you were in the kitchen, I saw… I wanted to know if you’re okay is all,” Hongjoong whispers. Yunho’s large, honey brown eyes soften as he hugs Hongjoong again, this time softer and shorter, more for Hongjoong’s comfort than his own. The butterflies fly into a frenzy, and Hongjoong is surely blushing, but Yunho doesn’t comment on the beet red complexion Hongjoong is no doubt sporting. 

“I’m okay. It was a long time ago, anyway. I’ve healed since then,” Yunho starts softly. He’s not looking at Hongjoong anymore, but rather at his hands, the long fingers fidgeting in his lap.

“Was it…” Hongjoong can’t even bring himself to ask the question. 

“Yeah. My dad docked my tail. It was eight years ago now, I think,” he answers. 

Hongjoong’s heart drops into his stomach. The worst he’d suspected was true. The practice of docking a tail has long been considered barbaric; hardly anyone does it anymore. It’s akin to severing a _limb_ . The thought of thirteen-year-old Yunho in such agony makes Hongjoong’s chest twist in rage and despair. His _father_ had made the decision, had given the go-ahead to the doctors to strap his child to a table and cut off parts of his body all for what? Tradition?

“I—I’m so sorry that happened to you, Yunho,” Hongjoong chokes out. Yunho merely waves his hand.

“It was a long time ago, and I knew it was coming. My family is quite… old-fashioned, I guess. That’s part of the reason I left. They realized they couldn’t control me anymore after I decided to pursue the education I wanted and refused to join the family business, so they kicked me out,” he sighs. “That’s why I needed to find a place to live on such short notice.”

The smile Yunho offers him breaks his heart into a million shards.

“You didn’t deserve any of that.” 

Yunho hums, leaning back against the couch. “Maybe not. But if I wasn’t born into my family, I would’ve never met Seonghwa. And without Seonghwa, I would’ve never met you.”

Hongjoong laughs, voice still rough with emotion. “You’re right, I’m pretty great.”

“You definitely are.”

➿

Four months into living with Yunho and winter has blossomed all around them. Fluffy snow blankets the ground and Hongjoong has to bundle himself up in _at least_ seven layers before even thinking of stepping outside. Yunho doesn’t seem to have a problem with the weather though, sometimes even volunteering to take the recycling out wearing nothing but a sweater.

“Won’t you be cold?” Hongjoong had demanded, tossing a scarf and a pair of mittens at him on his way out the door. 

“Nope, I’m like a freaking furnace, I’ll be fine.”

When Yunho comes back in though, Hongjoong is quite pleased to see him wearing the scarf and mittens, which in all honestly look better on him than they ever did on Hongjoong. He insists Yunho keep them, and to Hongjoong’s delight, he wears them every time he takes out the trash.

Winter _also_ means that Hongjoong blasts the heater at all hours, and while twenty-seven degrees Celsius is what he considers comfortable, Yunho has deemed it simply unbearable. But rather than asking Hongjoong to simply turn the heating down, he’s taken to walking around the apartment _half-naked._

He supposes he should be thankful that he gets to keep the temperature to his liking _and_ get some eye candy whenever he steps out of his room, but Yunho is starting to raise his eyebrows at how Hngjoong’s thirty-minute showers have suddenly become nearly an hour long. And he doesn’t have a good explanation for it. Well, at least not one that he can admit to Yunho’s face without scaring the man off. 

_“Hey Yunho, I’ve had a major crush on you since you’ve moved in and you walking around with all six of your abs on display_ isn’t _helping.”_

Yeah, that definitely wouldn’t go over well. 

So he suffers in silence, burning glimpses of Yunho into his memory for later. And he would have been okay with it, too. After all, the situation was only temporary, and his shameful jerk-off sessions would come to an end in six months' time when Yunho’s due to move out.

But the universe seems determined to put him through hell.

On what feels like the coldest day of the year, Hongjoong’s heater—curse the damn thing—decides to clock out. It just _stops_. His comfortable twenty-seven degrees plummet until he feels like a walking icicle, wrapped in layer after layer that does nothing to keep out the cold. Hongjoong has resorted to building a fort from every blanket he could scrounge up, filling and stuffing hot water bottles in every crevice to warm up his shivering body to no avail. Even the piping hot cocoa he makes does little to help, the steaming liquid cooling way too quickly in the frigid air of his apartment.

That’s how Yunho finds him, wrapped in a miserable lump of blankets in the middle of their living room. 

“Everything okay there?” he asks, squatting down next to the only part of Hongjoong that remains visible under the mess of fabric. 

He only gets a grumble in response, because _of course_ Yunho would only need a sweater to look as warm as Hongjoong is longing to feel. He giggles when Hongjoong reaches up to cover his face, enclosing himself in his self-made cocoon of blankets and hot water bottles. 

Hongjoong hears the thump as Yunho settles himself next to Hongjoong’s little nest, poking at the fabric until Hongjoong pokes a hand through a fold to swats his hand away.

“Any word on the repair guy?”

Hongjoong whines at that. The moment he’d discovered the defective heater, he’d called the repair company only to be told that he would have to wait _hours_. 

“Everyone is snowed in, apparently,” he groans. “It’s gonna be at least another two hours before they can make it here.” 

Yunho hums, and Hongjoong imagines he’s doing that cute habit where he tilts his head to the side and puffs out his cheeks. The first time he’d witnessed it, he’d barely been able to restrain his squeal and stop himself from reaching up to pinch Yunho’s cheeks. Now, in the pitch black of his blanket cocoon, he allows himself a smile of fondness. 

“Well, it looks like we’re gonna have to keep each other warm, then,” Yunho announces. Hongjoong feels a weight being lifted from his head as Yunho moves the blanket. “Scoot over.”

Hongjoong starts, sputtering. “What do you mean?” He can’t possibly mean that he’s going to stuff his six-foot body into an enclosed and _very_ tight space with Hongjoong, does he? The prospect sends his heart racing, heartbeat pounding in his ears until he can barely think. 

“Move over so I can join you.” Yunho says it as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, already tugging the blankets out of the way to make room for himself. Before he can even fully register it, Yunho’s slotted his body next to his and settled the comforters around them once more.

They’re chest to chest, Hongjoong’s nose level with his neck. He doesn’t know what in the world to do with his hands. Should he stuff them into his own pockets? Should he rest them on Yunho’s chest?

Hongjoong doesn’t get a chance to make a decision, though. Yunho reaches over him and brings him in close, his long arms cradling Hongjoong’s stiff body. His own hands land naturally against the broad expanse of Yunho’s chest, resting against the hard muscle and feeling every beat of Yunho’s heart against his fingertips. 

“This better?” Every inch of Yunho that could be touching him, _is._ Their legs are pressed together, one of Yunho’s longer one’s naturally shifting in-between his own. One of Yunho’s arms is cradled under his head, while the other is thrown loosely over his waist, his large hand splayed across the small of Hongjoong’s back. His body is indeed like a furnace, warming Hongjoong up in a matter of moments. Hongjoong finds his own tail slithering from where it was squished between his body and the blanket to wrap itself around Yunho’s hips.

So yes, objectively speaking, this is _considerably_ better than before. But Hongjoong would be lying if he said he wasn’t completely losing his mind. 

He only nods, barely trusting himself to speak without his voice shaking with want. Luckily he doesn’t have to speak at all, Yunho falling silent and his breathing evening out until Hongjoong thinks—prays—that he fell asleep. But no such luck. After all, the universe _is_ out to get Hongjoong.

“You know, I’ve heard this is _much_ more effective when both parties are naked.” The manner in which Yunho says it is nonchalant, so matter-of-fact that Hongjoong nearly misses the implication that Yunho is suggesting that they get naked. _Together._

Hongjoong can’t hold back the gasp that escapes his lips. “Yunho!” One of his hands lands a sturdy smack against Yunho’s chest, but it only serves to make the taller man laugh. 

His entire body shakes as Yunho’s chuckles rumble through his chest, arms tightening unconsciously to hold Hongjoong even closer.

“I’m only kidding!” he giggles. If Hongjoong were standing up, he’s sure he would’ve swooned at the sound. 

“You better be,” he grumbles back, tilting his head until his nose is pressed against Yunho’s sternum. As much as he hates what being this close to Yunho is doing to his body, the man is so _warm_. Hongjoong finds himself gravitating towards him despite his better judgment, but Yunho doesn’t seem to mind much. 

“You wanna take a nap or something? Just until the repair guy gets here?” 

It sounds like a good idea, and Hongjoong would’ve agreed to it in a heartbeat. But every cell in his body is buzzing, and "tired" is the absolute last word he would use to describe himself right now.

“I’m not that sleepy, to be honest,” he admits. Yunho hums in agreement. 

“Yeah, me neither. I could grab my Switch? Maybe we can play games?” That sounds a bit better, but maneuvering themselves to play video games in the cozy space between the blankets would probably end up being more uncomfortable than anything. And lord knows Hongjoong is _more_ than comfortable right now. 

“Hmm, that would require you to leave and let in all the cold air, so I’m going to veto that one,” Hongjoong says. It’s partly true, at least. 

“Then we can just hang out like this?” Yunho asks. He doesn’t sound disconcerted by the idea at all. “Or we _could_ get naked, find other ways to occupy ourselves.” He says it with a playful jostle of Hongjoong’s body, voice high and light. 

“Yunho!” Hongjoong admonishes, head snapping up to meet Yunho’s mirthful gaze. His pink lips are drawn into a beautiful smile, cheeks round as he giggles at Hongjoong blush.

“I’m still kidding, I swear!” 

“Damn Yunho, if you wanted to see me naked this bad, why didn’t you just ask before?” Hongjoong teases. He’s only half-joking, but Yunho doesn’t have to know that. 

“Would you have agreed to it?” Yunho shoots back, eyebrow cocked in curiosity but that adorable smile still playing on his lips. 

“Maybe, if I weren’t in my right mind. If you had asked me when I was drunk, high, or exhausted, I think you would’ve had at least a sixty percent chance of succeeding.” Hongjoong shrugs, mirroring Yunho’s grin. The butterflies are fluttering about in full swing, crawling up his throat and dusting his cheeks. 

“And what about hypothermia?” Yunho goads, tugging mischievously at the hem of his sweatshirt. Hongjoong’s tail flicks and wraps around Yunho’s wrist, stilling the motion.

“Luckily you invaded my personal space and warmed me up, so right now I’d say your chances are around five percent.”

“Five percent is still pretty good in my books, all things considered.” Yunho winks down at him. Hongjoong flushes even harder than before. 

“You’re optimistic,” Hongjoong muses. “Optimists are annoying.”

Yunho snorts. “But you like me though, right?”

“I _tolerate_ you, get your facts straight,” he retorts. Yunho scoffs in mock insult and begins to untangle himself from Hongjoong’s body, much to his dismay. The moment he pulls away even an inch, the space around Hongjoong begins to feel frigid once more, his warm little bubble popped in an instant.

“Oh, well if _that’s_ the case, I’ll just see myself out—woah!” Yunho finds himself being yanked back into place before even Hongjoong realizes what he doing. His arms have latched themselves around Yunho’s neck, and a leg is thrown over Yunho’s hip to hold him close. 

In this new position, they're face to face, Yunho’s nose nearly bumping his own. His roommate’s eyes widen as Hongjoong tightens his grip. 

“No, wait, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. Just _stay_ , so I can be warm—” Hongjoong’s half-assed apology is drowned out my Yunho’s giggles.

“I’ve never felt so used!” Yunho presses a hand against his chest, feigning hurt. “But I suppose I’ll stay. It would be unfortunate for such a cute kitten to freeze to death,” he says. 

“I am _not_ cute! _You’re_ cute!” The words are out before Hongjoong can stop them, and Yunho gasps. 

“You’re calling _me_ cute? Dude, I’m a fucking rottweiler! What about me could _possibly_ be cute?” Yunho argues. 

“I don’t know! Everything?” Hongjoong says truthfully, but it feels more like an argument than a confession. 

“I don’t know whether I should be offended for my species or flattered that you think I’m cute,” Yunho sighs, dramatic. “But for what it’s worth, I seriously think you’re cute too.” He taps Hongjoong on the nose, beaming. 

Now _that_ sounds more like a confession. Hongjoong’s eyebrows shoot up as his lips part, ready to protest. But he doesn’t miss the way Yunho’s eyes dart to his mouth as he gets ready to retort, flicking back up to meet his gaze so quickly that he doesn’t know if he imagined seeing it. 

He knows it was real, though, when he sees Yunho’s dark eyes and flushed cheeks. 

“Yunho,” he breathes softly.

“Yeah Hongjoong?” Yunho replies. His voice drops to a low rumble, matching Hongjoong’s volume. 

“I think your chances just rose to ten percent.”

Yunho huffs a laugh. “How generous of you, but I think I’ll take my chances with something that involves more clothing.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?” Hongjoong asks, inching closer until their chests are flush. 

“What are my chances if I asked to kiss you?” 

Hongjoong pretends to consider, tilting his head and tapping his chin with a finger. 

“I would say something in the ninety-five to ninety-eight percent range,” he concludes, giggling. 

“Ah, well, in that case,” Yunho says as he pulls him so close that their breaths mingle and noses bump together. “Hongjoong, may I kiss you?”

“You may.”

The first kiss is a soft press of lips against his. Yunho is gentle and slow, feeling every part of Hongjoong as if they have all the time in the world. 

The second kiss is messier, more desperate. Hongjoong allows his back to arch as he presses himself against as much of Yunho as he can. Their tongues tangle and their hands wander. Yunho’s hair is unbelievably soft, and his stomach is hard under Hongjoong’s fingers. Yunho's large hands encircle his waist and grip his ass, encouraging him to move closer until he’s all but on top of Yunho.

They stay there for what feels like hours, encompassed by the blankets and each other, exploring, discovering. The silent living room fills with gasps and moans as Yunho touches Hongjoong in all the right places, deep groans following as Hongjoong returns the favor. And after they’re done, still completely wrapped up in each other, bodies bare, Hongjoong realizes that he can barely feel the cold. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not the greatest at writing fluff, as y'all can see, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless!  
> Kudos and comments would be much appreciated, and I wish you all an amazing New Year! Remember to wears masks, wash your hands, and stay safe! 🥰
> 
> socials!
> 
> twt: @useumssi  
> cc: @useumssiiii


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